Former Congressman Delahunt looking to open medical marijuana dispensary

Former U.S. Congressman and longtime district attornet William Delahunt has filed applications with the state to open medical marijuana dispensaries in Plymouth, Taunton and Mashpee. The state has received 100 applications, and the law limits the number of shops that can open to 35 statewide, including at least one – but no more than five – per county.

Former U.S. Rep. and longtime Norfolk County District Attorney William D. Delahunt is seeking to get into the medical marijuana business. Delahunt has filed applications with the state to open dispensaries in Plymouth, Taunton and Mashpee.

The state has received 100 applications, and the law limits the number of shops that can open to 35 statewide, including at least one – but no more than five – per county.

The state Department of Public Health on Friday released information on 100 different applications for marijuana dispensaries, including the applicants’ names and the cities and towns in which they want to open. All dispensaries in Massachusetts are required to be run by nonprofits.

David Kibbe, a state spokesman, said the state will announce final selections Jan. 31.

Delahunt, the CEO of a nonprofit called Medical Marijuana of Massachusetts, said he has recruited a team of medical, law enforcement and addiction-treatment specialists to help him create an efficient and responsible dispensary.

“We want to do this with the highest standards possible so we can establish a gold standard, if you will, across the state of Massachusetts,” said Delahunt, who represented the former 10th Congressional District in Massachusetts from 1997 to 2011.

Delahunt, who started his own consulting firm after leaving Capitol Hill, had a four-decade political career that included stints on Quincy’s city council and in the state Legislature, and 21 years as Norfolk County’s district attorney.

A year ago, Massachusetts voters approved a ballot question to allow medical marijuana for patients with debilitating illnesses. The application process started this summer, and for the second phase, companies needed to file a site-specific application accompanied by a letter of support from the community where the facility is proposed.